2022-23 Team Developments: News / Trades / Free Agents / Rumors

the 20 games stuff isn't just to see what we've got, it's for all teams to see what they've got. some--like us--maybe realized earlier that they need to do something. but we won't be alone in wanting to shuffle things. we may be alone in wanting to shuffle things on november 9th, though.

 

Yes, a team full of underperforming stars, gleaguers and castoffs doesn't leave much to root for.

 

People are freaking a bit much although we do need to make a move. Media saying Lebron is done yet his pts/reb/asst numbers are the same as 2 seasons ago and he's dealt with illness for at least 3 games and his treys are way off to start the season. His treys will come around. AD's numbers are ok, the only thing he's noticeably dropped in the past 3 seasons is free throw attempts which indicates a lack of posting people up. I understand, he wants to play the modern game but he is not Wenbanyama. He needs to post up and I'm more concerned about AD's body and ability to do just that. Maybe he feels like he did his job with the one title already. Some guys are like that, give me the one chip so my name is in the books and then pay me. These guys just do not have anyone beyond Westbrook, maybe Reeves, flashes from Walker who they feel they can get support from. That's because they don't.

I don't think our current situation is comparable with the later Kobe years because those players were rookies and learning the NBA game, Jordan Clarkson was not who he is now, Randle is not not who he became a few years ago in NYC, Ingram also grew into the player he is now.

These guys that we have now, this is it, this is as good as it gets. Reeves already has a veteran's mind so he may do some fine-tuning especially on scoring to his game and Walker appears to excel more with added minutes but other than that, this is it, ain't no undeveloped talent lurking in our squad.

 

yeah, lebron isn't the problem. i feel like people are so used to lebron carrying teams on his back like he did all those years in cleveland and he simply isn't able to do that anymore. far too much mileage in those legs and getting older. he's still playing at a high level but he can't do it by himself. not even him and AD can carry the team when no one can make a shot

 

my complaints about lebron are really about his complaints (or those made on his behalf) more than anything.

he's 38 and signed a 50 million dollar deal. time to be a company man. do things it takes to win; don't complain that the roster isn't good enough. you're a big part of the reason the roster isn't good enough.

 

Can you give any examples of Lebron doing that? I don't even care if you have links, just from memory, when has Lebron shamed the roster? And wouldn't you shame this roster? At least privately.

 

At least we now can hope on the “Mystery Star.”
All is forgiven.

 

Yup.
His play on the court, for his age, has been exceptional.
It’s everything else that comes along with him.

 

i think what kicked this off was really me disagreeing with some posters and some recent quotes from players and pieces in the press feeling sorry for lebron.

he doesn't deserve that. he hasn't taken steps that afford him that.

 

Do you remember summer of '19 and both AD and LBJ said they were talking to Rob daily, AD said Rob was blowing up his phone every couple of hours. There was a different attitude on the team that doesn't exist right now. I think the Westbrook trade killed it because none of the 3 want to take responsibility for it. Add injuries to the mix and fireing the coach, possibly wrongfully, all that has added to the current mood in the locker room, Darvin is close to Russ but not to AD and Lebron as much. It's just not a good chemistry right now, too bad because Ham seems like the guy who would have a unit that jells together. He's working on it, I'm sure it's not easy with old stars.

 

Tin-foil hat time. Shams said yesterday that the Lakers won't trade the two firsts if the season "continues to go down this path." Howard Beck was on Chris Mannix's podcast yesterday as well, and Beck said that he's hearing the Lakers are "waiting for a specific player...waiting for a bigger piece to come loose that they think they can trade Westbrook and the two future firsts for." Today Windhorst published a piece for ESPN titled "LeBron James and Paul George: The fascinating, intertwined paths of two L.A. superstars". It goes through the Heat/Pacers rivalry last decade, how they almost became teammates on the Cavs in 2017 and then on the Lakers in 2018, and how they've each been in LA for a while now but the two teams have never had the marquee playoff matchup. The last line of the piece is "But there's still time, and George and James are holding out hope this final chapter of their side-by-side careers will bring with it one last dramatic twist."

Maybe I'm looking way too far into this, but the piece is kind of weird. I'm not really sure why its being written, no one has ever really been that interested in LeBron vs. George and that last line is kind of strange. The Clips have won a few in a row but its radio silence on Kawhi. Him sitting out a full season, then coming back off the bench for like 2 games before being out indefinitely again is definitely bizarre and obviously concerning. Maybe the FO thinks that situation is going south and George is going to become available?? He's going to turn 33 next May, he's still a great player but I don't he'd command a half dozen picks like Mitchell and he made clear last time he wanted to be in LA. In a scenario where Kawhi is out another full season and George quietly wants out, maybe they take Russ's expiring and both picks for him. If you're the Clips, you're getting two unprotected picks from a team with old stars that has at most a 2 year window before going down the drain.

Again, probably connecting dots that aren't there but there's nothing better to talk about this season lol.

 

For those still interested in Kyrie



Nash might not have been a very good coach, but he was a great floor general, is a very smart basketball mind, and was one of the greatest to play the same position as Kyrie. I trust him to draw up a play for a fellow point guard. If you can add uncoachable to the long list of Kyrie blemishes...I mean, what's the point?

 

He has “Mystery Star” written all over him!

 

And he's a guard

 

Latest on the trade front from Buha... the 20 game-ish evaluation plan is still the plan

 

i'm glad they care enough not to invest in this season to the detriment of many future seasons. good call.